Under the Stars
by Silvernyte Rhuka
Summary: Zel/Lina, Zel and Lina have a fight, think over their feelings, get drunk, and make up.


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"Under the Stars"

(words in grey are flashbacks)

* * *

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I don't want to hear about it anymore.   
It's a shame I've got to live without you anymore

Zel sat down by a fire under the midnight sky, poking the dying fire with the closest stick to him. Again he was alone, but with that last argument with her it was probably best he was alone. At least that was what he thought. He hated having to leave her though. Just another regret to weigh on his heart. Suddenly he shook his head and looked away from the fire as if he could see her in there, settling his gaze on the waning crescent of the moon.

He lay back on the moist grass suddenly, silently finding all the constellations, trying to block out the memories and the pain. Suddenly he lifted up a hand pointing a finger at the sky and moved it as if to connect the starts that formed the constellation Phoenix. As he finished he lowered his arm to the ground and shut his eyes, wondering why it hurt so much. Sure no matter how much he declared he had no friends and didn't need any she really was someone he considered a friend, but would that cause this much pain?

If it wasn't for that misunderstanding he'd still be traveling with them, and with her, but after that he felt he had to get away. How was it that something said in an argument could cause so much pain? It seemed absurd a few words could wound this deeply. But that's how it was, leaving him laying alone in a clearing in a deep woods wondering just how she was doing. If perhaps the words she had spoke were true or not, and if what he had said and done after she said them was the right thing to do or not.

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There's a fire in my heart   
A pounding in my brain, it's driving me crazy

"You can be such a stubborn, selfish bastard sometimes Zelgadis," she'd told him coldly.He'd almost flinched when she said that, not really realizing how he nearly reacted. He'd only noticed that somewhere inside those words had hurt him.

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"Oh? Like you haven't been stubborn or selfish yourself?" he'd replied coldly, adding, "At least I don't have a temper like someone else here," with venom. "I just couldn't stand that it had hurt so much..." he whispered to the night sky. He clearly remembered the shock on her face and her anger. And how guilty seeing that had made him feel.

__

"I take that back, your a stubborn, selfish, insensitive jerk," she finally responded with equal venom.

"The why do you always insist that I don't go if I'm such a jerk?" he asked, narrowing his eyes looking straight at her.

"Because I love you, you idiot!" she'd responded without thinking, leaving both of them standing there with their mouths open.

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We don't need to talk about it anymore   
Yesterday's just a memory; can we close the door 

Slowly his expression turned blank, his mind filled with a mess of thoughts. He knew not how to react, nor all that his head was telling him, weather it was that she deserved better than him, he didn't deserve her, or something else his face suddenly turned from blank to severe. "Good-bye," he said shortly leaving her to watch him leave with a shocked expression and then turned and walked out of the inn.   
  
How dare she, he thought as he wandered off. How dare she what though? Make him think that someone could love him? Force him to see he still could love even after what happened to him? Force him to make a decision on weather or not he could let himself love?

How dare she make him want to return so badly, he answered the question he had thought all those days ago. Couldn't he forget it, let his life go on? 

__

  
I just made one mistake   
I didn't know what to say when you called me baby

"Stupid, stupid, stupid..." he muttered to himself. He should have said something, something besides 'good-bye', shouldn't have left. "She was right, I am a stubborn, selfish, insensitive jerk. And a stupid one too!" She'd never forgive me.

He gazed back up at the sky, was the sky lightening already? With a sigh he rose and began preparing to leave. He told himself he had to hurry to find his cure, but part of him wondered if it was to get away from the memory. To keep himself from breaking down and returning to her. At that he clenched his fist and started off for another day of travel.

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Don't say goodnight   
Say you're gonna stay forever   
Oh, whoa, all the way

Damnit! He hadn't wanted to leave, but it was too late to change it. Well, nothing to do now but accept it. Or try to. He was just beginning to mark this mistake up as the worst one ever when he noticed a small village. Wordlessly he pulls up his hood and mask and walked towards it, hoping it had someplace where he could get a drink.

As he noticed the tavern he started to walk towards it slightly faster than he was walking before, grateful for the darkness inside. "Wine," he ordered as he sat down, "And bring the bottle too." When it came he took a big gulp of the overly sweetened cheap wine, barely noticing its taste.

__

Can you take me high enough   
To fly me over yesterday 

Hours, or was it just minuets later possible considering how he was drinking, he sat among a crowd of various men. "Why ya here again?" a grungey and large man asked.

"Need'd a drink... lotsa pro'lems" he slurred.

"Eh, a lady?" an overly skinney one said.

"Yeah... had a fight w'th 'er, ask'd her why she'd want me 'round," he started telling. "She said she loved me, an' I walk'd out."

"Now why'd ya do somethin' like that?" asked another.

"Jus' look it me!" he exclaimed pulling down his hood. "Wha' kinda lady deserves a freak like me?"

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Can you take me high enough   
It's never over, yesterday's just a memory 

The drunken men took his appearance with little shock, weather it was due to their drunkenness, or what, Zel didn't care. They were still here and still listening. 

"She obv'usly sees somethin' in ya you don', boy," said the soberest of the lot, a medium sized man with ordinary brown hair and eyes. "Although with that kinda attitude I don' see wha' it could be."

"Idjit, she o'vusly likes ya! Better go back an' apooli... apalygize... er... " stated another, who was way more drunk than the others.

"Apologize!" said the least drunken one, whapping the overly drunk man still trying to say "apologize". "An' I'll admit 'es right about what to do. Turn yer arse around an' find 'er an' make up."

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Yesterday's just a memory

"Mebee I will..." Zel answered standing up. "When I'm sober..." he added as he fell back onto his chair, breaking it.

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And I don't want to live without you anymore   
Can't you see I'm in misery 

Zel woke up and opened his eyes, wincing as he realized the pain in his head. He covered his eyes with his arm to block the sun as he tried to get up. "Gods... I'm never gonna drink like that again!" he swore as he managed to finally open one eye and take the bright light shining in the room. Opening the other eye he began getting ready, finally he left his room, stopping to get a strong cup of coffee before he left town.

He drank half of it in one gulp, the black, bitter coffee leaving an aftertaste. Drinking the rest he then ordered a few more. "You really goin' to apologize to that lady-friend?" asked the one who was least drunk last night.

"I said I was. Even though she's going to Dragon Slave me for being a jerk," he said setting his cup down. "If I'm lucky."

"A lady with a temper, eh?" the brown-haired man replied.

"You could say that," Zel answered.

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And you know for sure   
I would live and die for you   
And I'd know just what to do when you call me baby

Setting his last cup down he stood up and left without saying anything. Pulling up his hood he walked back to the town she was in when he left her, figuring he could follow her trail. Then he set off running.

A few days later he finally made it back to the town, "Where have you gone?" he asked silently before walking into it. Suddenly he stopped a man walking by, "Do you remember a short red-haired sorceress visiting here, traveling with a blonde swordsman?"

"Yeah, she's still here. Been stayin' at the inn for over a week," he said before wandering back off to do whatever it was he was doing.

"She stayed here?" Zel said to himself in astonishment. Shutting his eyes for a moment he realized that could mean she was either taking it hard and getting depressive or hoping he'd come back so she could take her anger and frustration out on him, "Damn." Then he walked off to a local tavern, keeping away from the inn, so he could have what could be his last meal if it turned out she was really pissed at him.

After finishing a moderately sized meal - and two glasses of wine to dull his nerves - he sat back and shut his eyes trying to gather himself together to face her. As he stood up to leave he heard someone shout, wincing as he realized it was her.

"Stop right there Zel!" she yelled at him angrily. "What the hell are you doing back here?"

"I came to apologize," he re replied coolly.

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Don't say goodbye   
Say you're gonna say forever   
Oh, whoa, all the way

Her hand clenches and then opened as she brought it up to slap him in her anger, stumbling into him as she slapped him. Zel grabbed her to steady her, catching the scent of her breath as he did so. "Lina, your drunk," he said flatly.

"So!?" she snapped. "What right do you have to apologize? You LEFT me!"

Zel looked away feeling ashamed of his actions then looked back at her, noticing the tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "You were right to say I am a stubborn, selfish, insensitive jerk. I sure was one that night, I just didn't know how to react then. I'm sorry."

She looked at him, her eyes wide, the tears finally falling.

__

Can you take me high enough   
Can you fly me over yesterday 

Suddenly she hugged Zel. "I missed you Zel!" she exclaimed snuggling up to him as she hugged him. Hesitantly he wrapped his arms around her.

"I missed you too Lina," he whispered to her, smiling slightly. He moved so his head was near Lina's ear and whispered even softer, "And I love you." Then he found himself getting dragged outside by Lina. "Lina??"

"You think I'm gonna get all sappy in public, even if I am, as you pointed out, drunk?" she asked with a grin.

Zel chuckled and grinned, following her back to the inn where she was staying, helping her when she stumbled over something now and then. "Drinking that much isn't very healthy Lina. Especially in the morning." He told her, getting a semi-suspicious look from her causing him to blush remembering when he was even more drunk than she was now.

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Can you take me high enough   
It's never over, yesterday's just a memory

Pulling him into her room she hugged him again. "Oh Zel, when you walked out like that..." she sobbed. Zel wrapped an arm round her.

"Its okay Lina, I'm back now," he comforted. "And I don't plan on leaving ever again."

  
"Mmmm..." she muttered as she kept hugging Zel, causing him to blush.

"Lina, I'm not going anywhere..." Zel said to Lina calmly.

"I know that," se said, smiling happily, suddenly wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him, startling Zel. After he got over his initial shock at her actions he started kissing back timidly, breaking it off after a few moments.

"Lina? What was that for?"

"That was to make sure you stay Zel," she said, grinning again. Suddenly Zel held her and kissed her.

"And that was for?"

"To make sure you know just how sorry I am for what I did."

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I was running   
I was running for the door   
Do not say now or never   
I was running back for more 

"I'm not too sure you really are sorry..." she said, grinning slyly.

Zel looked at her, "And just how am I supposed to earn your forgiveness?" As Lina looked at him and blinked sweetly he backed up. "Lina... you're drunk... I don't think you're thinking right," he managed to say while he blushed.

"Maybe I'm not thinking right. But right now I don't care," she nearly purred as she grabbed Zel and kissed him again. Suddenly he found himself stroking Lina's hair with one hand as he held her closer with the other as their kiss deepened.

"Lina," Zel aid, breaking the kiss and sitting down. "I thought we were going to talk."

Lina pouted for a moment then settled down on Zel's lap, snuggling against him again, "'Bout what?" she asked

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Oo, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

"You know what Lina," he said in exasperation. Suddenly he heard a small snore coming from her, "Lina?" He smiled as he saw her asleep on his lap. With a slight chuckle he carefully lifted her off his lap and carried her across the room to her bed. "Sleep well Lina," he said fondly, sitting down on a chair to watch her, eventually slipping off into sleep.

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Don't say goodbye   
Say you're gonna stay forever   
Oh, whoa, all the way, all the way   
All the way, yeah

Zel awoke when the sun shone in his face. At first he didn't realize where he was, then noticed he was in Lina's room. Silently he got up and stated walking to the door, the floor only making a slight noise beneath him. Lina opened her eyes and saw him walking out. "Leaving again Zel?" she said sleepily.

Zel stopped and looked at her, blushing when he realized she was right. "I was just... going to go downstairs and bring up some breakfast for you. I thought that you might like that, especially after how much you drank last night." He silently congratulated himself for quick thinking.

"Good idea," Lina answered sleepily. "Hurry along and get it then."

As he went down to get her breakfast he suddenly wondered if it wasn't a good idea to say that. How the heck was he gonna carry all that food up to her. "Oh well..." he sighed.

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Can you take me high enough   
Can you fly me over yesterday 

Finally he wandered back up, several plates floating behind him, managing to balance two on each arm and one on his head. Without doing anything he managed to open the door somehow and enter, pulling a tray out from under the bed he announced he was back. "Lina, here's breakfast," then setting the tray down he sat the first few plates in front of her.

"OOH BOY! FOOD!" she exclaimed as she began to chow down, Zel watching her with a slight smile.

"No need to hurry Lina," he laughed slightly causing Lina to look at him.

"Thank you Zel," she smiled before going back to eating.

"You don't need to thank me," he said, blushing slightly.

"I may not need to, but I want to," she smiled back sincerely making him blush more.

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Can you take me high enough   
It's never over, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa

"So Zel," Lina said conversationally as she stated slowing down as the last plate remained. "What are you gonna do now? Follow another lead for a cure?"

"I don't know," he answered after a pause. "Maybe I will. Then again..."

"Then again you only think you need one," Lina pointed out, speaking around her last bite of food. Zel raised a brow at that. "You're perfectly fine like you are now."

Zel smiled at her, "We should get going soon."

"Yeah, we should."

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Can you take me high enough   
Won't you fly me over yesterday   
Can you take me high enough   
It's never over, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa

As Lina and Zel walked down the hall and outside Gourry finally got up. He looked around, then looked back at them walking together and shrugged. "Looks like they finally made up after that fight," he said rhetorically to himself. "Hey you two! Wait up!" and he ran to catch up.

[**notes**: _on the constellation Phoenix_ - there is such a constellation but I have no idea where it can be seen and when, and yes I know it was named in the late 1500's, I've forgotten way to much of what I learned about the constellations, (use backed up by the Artistic Freedom clause in paragraph 20 of the Artistic Code). _On drunk Lina_- I know she could be a little tipsyer, but I decided getting drunk would cause her to get more emotional and clingey]


End file.
